CANCUN – AN EMERGING DESTINATION FOR MEDICAL TOURISM IN LATIN AMERICA

Cancun, Q. Roo (June 6, 2011) The Medical Tourism Association of Cancun and Riviera Maya, together with the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Cancun Hotel Association, and the Riviera Maya tourism board, will promote the Mexican Caribbean as the new medical tourism destination in Latin America, under the World Medical Tourism Congress, to be held this October in Chicago.

As part of this event, 10 hospitals within the Mexican Caribbean will announce Cancun and Riviera Maya as the hosts of the First National Congress of Medical Tourism, to be held in April of 2012. The event will take place in conjunction with leading institutions within the medical tourism industry from the United States and Canada.

President of the Hotel Association in Cancun, Rodrigo de la Peña and Servando Acuña President of the Medical Travel Association, announced during a recent press conference that Cancun and Riviera Maya cared for 2,200 patients in 2010; the potential of this market segment over the next four years is estimated to be between 8 and 10 thousand patients.
There are 11 hospitals and clinics that are currently treating patients as part of the medical tourism industry in these two tourist destinations and in the next two years an investment of 49.5 million dollars is expected, including four hospitals-clinics in the Riviera Maya.

In 2009, a total of 17,840 rooms per night were occupied; when considering pre- and post- operation stays, the total comes out to 19,624 rooms. With an average room-rate of 90 dollars, an average of $1.8 million dollars in income was generated in expenses per stay; not including food and beverages of the accompanying travelers.

Health tourism generates 20 Million Dollars annually and this amount is expected to double in coming years (The Economist). By 2015, the US will spend 20% of GDP on health care while 25% of the population does not have insurance (Time). The 220 million “Baby Boomers” in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, will need more medical care by 2015.

Medical tourism in the United States and Canada represents a market of 46 million potential patients and an economic benefit of 11 Billion Dollars.

To promote growth in medical tourism, Medical Travel Cancun A.C. was created in November of 2010, with 9 medical-tourist facilities in Cancun and Riviera Maya under the direction of Servando Acuña Braun, the company’s president.

The tourism industry, hotels and travel agencies are working in conjunction with the destinations toward the growth and further development of the medical and health tourism industry.

About Cancun

Cancun is located in the northern part of the southeastern Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is Mexico’s number one tourist destination and is known all over the world for its spectacular beaches, unique beauty and breathtaking turquoise waters.

Cancun’s shoreline recently underwent a $71 Million Dollar makeover, that featured 1.3 billion gallons of sand to renovating the Hotel Zone’s seashore. The most popular tourism destination in Mexico and Latin America has also added to its sun, beach, and nightlife, by creating a unique five-day route that will offer visitors a chance to experience adventure and interaction with nature. Cancun and the Treasures of the Caribbean invite travelers to discover the vast natural, cultural and gastronomical cultures of Puerto Morelos, and the four islands of the Mexican Caribbean: Holbox, Isla Mujeres, Contoy and Cozumel. Cancun is a multifaceted destination that combines nature, historical Mayan Culture, glamour, luxury and world class tourism with the seduction for adventure, the passion for paradisiacal nature and the enchantment of gastronomical magic.

One thought on “CANCUN – AN EMERGING DESTINATION FOR MEDICAL TOURISM IN LATIN AMERICA”

Medical tourism is a great way for countries to boost their economy and improve their services for international visitors, when a person travels for a medical procedure they rely on the expertise of Medical Travel Agency and reviews and the research they put into their procedure and their plans. With medical tourism being such a popular way of having medical procedures done at a fraction of the cost it is no surprise that many countries are trying to improve their appeal.